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U.S. fines three oil firms for mislabeled Bakken shipments

WASHINGTON - Three companies operating in North Dakota's Bakken energy patch were on Tuesday were fined $93,000 for wrongly classifying crude oil being hauled from the field to tank car trains.

The Department of Transportation said Hess Corp, Marathon Oil Corp and Whiting Oil and Gas Corp were cited for wrongly classifying cargo tanks that were delivering crude to rail facilities from the field.

A number of fiery derailments of crude oil in recent months prompted an official spot check of cargo and many mislabeled samples were found, the DOT said in a statement.

"The fines we are proposing today should send a message to everyone involved in the shipment of crude oil: You must test and classify this material properly," said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.